Emily Temple (Adviser) and Fletcher Crane (Architect) of Chelsea Harbour Construction Ltd will presenting to the Effingham Parish Council meeting on 7 January 2020 at 8pm, on a proposal for the redevelopment of the Sir Douglas Haig pub site with houses. Details of their proposals are in the attached document 1902 Sir Douglas Haig Parish Consultation
Effingham Residents Association
Effingham Residents Association (EFFRA)
Unbelievably horrible. These clowns think erecting a few parasols outside an artisan coffee shop replaces the character and uniqueness that a pub brings to a village. What a way to start the new year.
What’s the Berkeley Homes connection with this development? There has to be one. They seem to be intent on turning an old English village into the fake version peddled by estate agents rebranding horrible areas of South London as rustic and boutique.
Yet another nail in the Effingham VILLAGE coffin.
Don’t let this be the third village that I have lived in – Oxshott and Cobham being the first two – to become an over-developed imitation of parts of London! The ‘Pub is the Hub’ of a community and we already have a coffee shop where people can meet if they prefer a different venue. No doubt there is a connection with Berkeley Homes whom I believe are already trying to increase the number of new houses by 55 or thereabouts. That development alone is going to have a devastating affect on the village when and if it happens so we don’t want any more! Save The Sir Douglas Haig, the jobs therein and one of our community’s only sources of entertainment and sociability!
And another point – why are they claiming the Haig is financially unviable when there are 300+ new homes coming to the village, and in the wider area, thousands of new homes? The Haig will be the closest pub for all three of the areas where Berkeley is building, so this pub should be a goldmine with all these new residents looking for somewhere local to visit. The Duke of Wellington in East Horsley has shown it’s possible (to my eyes at least) that it’s possible to turn a large pub around from one which was tired and dated to one which now always seems to be buzzing.
Totally agree Jeremy…. I spent 25 years promoting pubs (and brands therein) with breweries in the ‘old days’ and pub chains after that. This can be, as you say, a goldmine and therefore prosper and be able to offer more to a wide, soon to be wider, community. It is lunacy to think that The Plough for example with its food/restaurant reputation will be able to or want to cater for a vastly increased number of residents with diverse requirements for their leisure time.
Totally agree as well The Haig should be the hub of the village, The plough is a great pub but it does concentrate more on food and fair play to them. The plough is simply not big enough at the moment to cope with the potential extra housing especially if the Haig is to close. As we all know, if the Haig goes and they leave one of the buildings for a coffee shop it will not be one, and after a couple of years they will put in for a change of use and turn it into another house/apartment instead.
I believe and agree with your comments A Wright, if you study the farcical plans, I think they mention ‘retail outletS’. No doubt a Tesco Extra or something as well as a coffee shop type thing, thus killing our shops in The Street. I may be wrong on this, but the meeting is at the KGV tomorrow night at 8pm. Will Effingham postcards soon feature Costa and Pizza Express etc like too many villages from my past?!
It does seem a bit odd, and perhaps, underhand, that only 3 Effingham residents have become aware of this, myself by accident. You have to ask yourself….. is it monied investors in the loop as opposed to the payers of extortionate council taxes etc (or are the former in cahoots with Berkeley Homes, GBC and the so-called Secretary of State…..
Unfortunately most of the so called people at the top do not know the area that well or care Just interested in making money and moving on. We are the ones who struggle to drive in this area and can’t get to the doctors ect I will be at the meeting tomorrow not sure who listens to the likes of us though.
Too true. Get down to the Haig before 12 tomorrow. I can’t be there but I have called in a few favours from journalist mates of old
And A Wright, get as many of your mates down there…. for the protest photo for local paper… wish I could be there. Good luck to our community
Sounds interesting, unfortunately I have to work tomorrow.
A Wright and Jeremy. Are you on Nextdoor? Interesting unintelligible comments from our councillor
No I am not on next door Not heard of that one until tonight Can the Haig put something about tomorrow on there Facebook page ?
I ave just come home from the Haig and heard the news which to my mind is disasterous for the Village and community of Effingham. Also to learn that freedom of speache has been threatened
by the present managment. This is disgusting.
Dear sirs
Having been to the Parish Council meeting last night the question is do we need one? Firstly the Haig, up until 1989 the Haig was owned by Friary Mux they put in an application to pull down the pub and build 17 flats, I led the campaign to stop it and won. The pub was purchased by Lawrie Smart for £325,000 he then spent £800,000 on refurbishment so we know the pub is in very good condition. The same argument I heard last night was the same as Friary 31 years ago it is a failing pub. NO, it is a failing business two totally different things. When Lawrie Smart ran the pub he made money hand over fist. So what is the problem? pubs are not sold on the size of the pub or land mass but a simple equation! If you want to invest in a pub its asset value is generally taken 2.5 times its annual turnover value BUT if you can tear it down. BINGO.
This asset in the Effingham Village should be listed. It was and is a core part of the heart of the village which should remain a village and a former resident of the village, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society Ray Davies, would be as disgusted at this commuter type development as his song of that name points out.